Latvia

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Rapidly developing, the Latvian higher education consists of highly regarded academic and professional programmes – the former prepares graduates for independent research, whereas the latter prepares them for professional activity in a particular field. General costs of living in Latvia are relatively inexpensive.

Basic information

Latvia is located at the crossroads of Northern and Eastern Europe, on the east coast of the Baltic Sea. Latvia is bordered by Estonia to the North, Russia and Belarus to the East and Lithuania to the South, and has a maritime border with Sweden to the West. Other neighbouring countries include Finland, Poland and Germany. Latvia is famous for its beautiful coastline and pine forests. Latvia is located in such a geographical zone, which allows one to enjoy the magic and the differences of the four seasons, which is mostly not possible elsewhere in Europe. Latvia is a member of the United Nations, European Union, Council of Europe, NATO, Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organisation. Latvia has established diplomatic relations with 158 countries and maintains embassies in 35 countries. 37 countries maintain an embassy in Latvia’s capital Riga.

The Higher Education System

The Latvian education system consists of pre-school, basic, secondary and higher education. General education in total lasts 12 years (compulsory 9-years basic and 3-years secondary education). There is academic and professional higher education in Latvia. Most of the HEIs offer both academic and professional higher education. Academic higher education programmes prepare graduates for independent research and provide theoretical background for professional activities. They usually comprise a thesis at the end of each stage and lead to a Bachelor’s degree or Master’s degree. Professional higher education programmes provide indepth knowledge in a particular field, preparing graduates for conducting independent professional activities, for research and teaching activities in the field. Total duration of the programmes is at least 4 years after secondary education and at least 2 years after college education. Duration of Bachelor’s programmes is 3 or 4 years. The total length of fulltime Bachelor and Master studies is at least 5 years. Doctoral studies last 3-4 fulltime years. The HEIs offer study programmes in such fields as Computer Science, Social Sciences, Social Welfare, Teacher Training and Education Science, Agriculture and Forest, Architecture and Civil Engineering, Arts, Business and Administration, Law, Natural Sciences, Humanities. The Latvian credit point system is compatible with ECTS. The number of ECTS credits is found by multiplying the number of Latvian credit points by a factor of 1.5.

Scholarships

Tuition fee depends on the chosen institution and the study programme. The range is from 80, 000 INR per year to 8,00, 000 INR per year (e.g. Dental Surgeon’s degree programme). The precise tuition fees at HEI in Latvia can be found on www.studies.lv State Education Development Agency offers scholarships to foreign students. Read more on www.viaa.gov.lv Average monthly living expenses in Latvia are estimated to be between 36, 000 INR and 56, 000 INR, depending on the type of accommodation (student dorm or privately rented housing/flat). These amounts should be enough to cover food, accommodation, utilities. To see the detailed list of expense go to http://www.studies.lv/en/how-to-apply/tuition-fees Non-EU nationals need a visa to enter Latvia. If students from outside EU come for a longer period than 90 days, they must apply for a residence permit in a Latvian embassy abroad. Please consult the Latvian embassy in your country to learn what procedures you should undergo and what documents you need to submit. The university you are applying for, can advise you on visa issue. Read more on: http://www.studies.lv/en/how-to-apply/visa

This website has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this website are the sole responsibility of the implementing partner (AETS) and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. Contents received from the participating EU higher education institutions have been used on the website with minimal editing and are compiled and presented in good faith to serve public interest. The respective institutions are responsible for the accuracy of their submissions.

NOTE FOR THE ATTENTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN THE EU MEMBER STATES

EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION VIRTUAL FAIR (EHEVF) INDIA 2018: 25-28 Oct

Dear Madam/Sir, Greetings from New Delhi!

The EU has a relatively long history of co-operation with India, including in Higher Education and Science and Technology. The EU is particularly active in increasing participation of more Indian students and teachers studying, researching, and teaching in Europe, in particular through European scholarships and institutional cooperation through ERASMUS+ program and, for teaching and research through Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action and Jean Monnet Programme. About 5,000 Indian students and scholars have already received such European grants. With about 50,000 Indian students in the EU right now, Europe is the 2nd preferred destination of Indian Students wishing to study abroad.

Following on the success of the European Higher Education Virtual Fair (EHEVF) India in 2015 and 2016, the Delegation of the European Union to India is announcing the European Higher Education Virtual Fair (EHEVF) India 2018.

The aim behind EHEVF 2018, being organized under the EU Public Diplomacy in India through Policy and Outreach Partnerships Project (EUPOP India), is to promote the EU as a destination for higher education and research for Indian students and researchers and to support the EU Member States and EU-based Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in their efforts towards internationalization of higher education.

The Virtual Fair, which will be held from Thursday 25th October to Sunday 28th October 2018, will provide an online platform to EU HEIs to reach out to future students in India through digital marketing including social media, web presence and webinars.

The Virtual Fair comprises of four main elements:

1.A dedicated website hosting information about the participating EU HEIs which will be promoted amongst the Indian students. Each participating HEI and EUMS will get one webpage/ micro-site on the EHEVF website: www.study-europe.net

2.A series of webinars will be arranged during the Virtual Fair to enable the HEIs to directly reach out to prospective students in India on higher education opportunities in the EU. Each participating HEI will get one or more speaking slots during the Virtual Fair.

3.A dedicated digital marketing campaign will be run from August – October to attract the attention of Indian students on social media channels to which participating HEIs and EUMS will be invited to cross-link and collaborate.

4.A partnership campaign will be run with select Indian universities/ HEIs in key cities across the country who will be approached to publicize EHEVF amongst their students and to host EHEVF 2018 webinar screenings in their premises. It is expected that EU HEIs will have access to large number of Indian students and academic community through this direct channel as well.

We invite you to participate in the EHEVF 2018 by expressing your institution’s interest by responding to this email. There is no participation fee for EU HEIs - they should be officially registered/ recognized in one of the EU Member States. At this juncture we would need the following information from you:

More than 5000 Indian students participated in the Virtual Fair held in 2016 which comprised of two phases: In July, 45 webinar sessions were held over 4 days with participation of 26 EU HEIs, and in September 80 webinar sessions were held over 4 days with 8 country sessions, 12 thematic sessions and the rest were taken by 22 HEIs from the EU. In 2015, more than 3200 Indian students participated in the Virtual Fair webinars.

The Virtual Fair offers you an unmatched opportunity to reach out to and engage with potential students from India from the comfort of your home or office, free of cost.

We look forward to having your expression of interest as soon as possible, preferably within a week from the date of this letter.